


Past, Present and Future (You are the One)

by mygreatwidesomewhere



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Amusement Parks, Angst, But without showing the school part, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Johnny is the best brother ever, Just a tiny little bit though, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is Whipped, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23789494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mygreatwidesomewhere/pseuds/mygreatwidesomewhere
Summary: Donghyuck’s dad left a long time ago and since then, he’s grown to be independent. On the other hand, his boyfriend Mark is the type to grip onto him tightly because he’s terrified of roller coasters. Still, Donghyuck finds he doesn’t mind relying on him.Where Donghyuck and Mark rewrite memories at Universal Studios and it’s just one of the many instances that make Donghyuck sure that Mark is ‘The One’.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	Past, Present and Future (You are the One)

The first thing that catches the couples’ eye is the humongous globe slowly spinning on its tilted axis as streams of mist slowly rise from its base. As they approach the attraction, it spins another half a round to reveal the words ‘Universal Studios’ popping out. The mist cools the air as they move closer to snap a picture, their first memory of the day. 

Donghyuck puts his phone to face his boyfriend, only to be met with Mark craning his neck and squinting his eyes as if searching for something far away. He tugs on his shirt, drawing the older’s attention back to him before asking, “What are you doing?” 

“What do you mean? I’m looking for the ticket counter, we can’t get in without the tickets,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

The younger can only release an exasperated sigh as he shifts his backpack in front of him and starts digging through his belongings, pulling a sheet of paper out and holding it out in front of Mark’s face, “Relax, I already bought the tickets online.”

Mark just gapes at him, “You can do that?”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes as he starts walking towards the entrance, not even turning back as he replies, “Obviously, that’s how technology works these days. I can’t believe my boyfriend is a hag.” The other boy can’t even deny it so he just sputters and trails after his more technologically-inclined boyfriend. It’s been awhile since he’s been to an amusement park or any tourist attraction really, being swamped with university assignments and his own personal producing projects and last he remembers of doing so, they had to stand in the queue for ages just waiting to buy the tickets. Needless to say, he’s amazed by the advancements in technology. Though, seeing how it seems to be a given to Donghyuck, he’s probably just really behind. He can’t say it’s much of a problem because he usually relies on his boyfriend for these kinds of things anyways. People tell him to try and get with the times but he can’t bring himself to when the younger is so cute when he whines and protests about Mark’s incompetence while still willingly going to help when he calls for him. 

Standing in front of the gates, Donghyuck uses his elbow to nudge Mark, throwing him a sideways glance and a lopsided smile, “You ready for the time of your life?” The older, sincere as always, simply answers, “It’s always the time of my life when I’m with you.” Donghyuck can’t say such a reply isn’t normal for someone like Mark who is always so open, who always wears his heart on his sleeve but it still takes him by surprise. And because he needs to maintain his bad bitch persona, he turns away and lowers his head to hide the blush that creeps up his face, not that Mark Lee has long seen through it. He moves on ahead and passes through the gates, calling after Mark, “Well then hurry up, you cheesy bastard!” 

He does not actually manage to hurry up because, somehow, he messes up the scanning of his ticket. He’s so hopeless at it that one of the staff has to walk over and help him out. Donghyuck greets him on the other side, sporting the teasing grin of the Cheshire Cat, no longer feeling shy after seeing Mark make a fool of himself again. 

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t even say anything!” Though he’s smiling as he holds his hands up.

The boy’s faux indignance earns him another glare. It doesn’t last for long, however, as their attention is turned to the world that has opened up before them. They’d never been to Hollywood but if they had, they’re sure it would look like this (though it’s a given since it seems to be a deliberate stylistic choice as seen from one of many huge neon signs that spell out ‘Hollywood’, designed very much like one of those bright Broadway signs). Everything is blinding and full of life. The ‘sidewalks’ mimic that of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, big stars imprinted onto the ground with names of famous celebrities. Minion and Sesame Street mascots waddle around shaking hands and taking pictures with children and their families. Moreover, there are actual restaurants and shops that line the streets. Unsurprisingly, Mark finds himself being dragged into one of them. 

The store’s interior is bright yellow, not just from the wallpaper but also from the sheer amount of Minion merchandise. Mark, overwhelmed by the splash of colour and the goggled-covered eyes staring back at him, is unsure of where to look. Luckily for him, his boyfriend knows what he’s doing, just running around the store to gush at and play with the cute items with Mark in tow. He’s even got a theme song going for him as he starts singing the Minions’ Banana song. Finally, he stops in front of some Minions headbands, staring at them contemplatively for a while before he turns to Mark who already knows what he’s going to say. Crossing his arms, he tries to look firm as he rejects the idea before it’s even out of Donghyuck’s mouth, “No.” Having lived with the younger since he just moved into his apartment a year ago, he’s fully aware of his tendency to buy things on impulse and then leave them to collect dust somewhere in his room where they will never see the light of day. 

“Please? I’ve always wanted to wear matching headbands with someone in an amusement park. My dad thought it was stupid so I never got to do it with my family.” And that’s what causes Mark’s resolve to crumble. Donghyuck does feel a tinge of guilt at using that card instead of just pouting and staring with pleading eyes like he always does (which usually does the trick because Mark is just that weak for him) but it’s the truth. He was always envious of all those families and couples who got to look so adorable together donning their matching headbands, looking as if there was no place they would rather be, no one they would rather be with, proudly showing their happiness off. That sentiment seemed to be a stranger to his father who very much looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there with them, his family. Well, he got what he wanted in the end. It’s not something that Donghyuck dwells on and it’s more of a distant, hazy memory than anything but he’s always held onto that fantasy for some strange reason. He’s glad he did because just the sight of him and Mark in the mirror wearing the Minion headbands makes him giddy on the inside, so much so that he’s visibly more cheerful and bouncy (his fluffy hair further accentuating this) as they leave the store. 

♡

Their next stop makes Mark quake on the spot and Donghyuck is certain that if he doesn’t stop, he’ll manage to dig a hole through the ground. He doesn’t doubt that that’s exactly what Mark wants to do right now. 

They’ve found themselves at a largely Sci-Fi-themed area and the most prominent attraction in both size and volume of screams is the Battlestar Galactica, a roller coaster and Mark’s worst enemy. Once he’s managed to find his bearings, he starts pulling Donghyuck away, aiming to get as far away from that death trap as possible. He knows that it’s the exact kind of ride that his boyfriend likes and he’s not about to wait for Donghyuck to trick him into getting on it. This is one of the few things (and he can count them on one hand) he will not let the younger drag him into. They tussle for a bit but Mark is the stronger of the two and not even Donghyuck digging his feet onto the ground and grumbling stops him from redirecting them towards a much safer looking ride. Mark is pretty sure he chose the right ride because Donghyuck looks highly unimpressed which means that he’s definitely not going to have to hurl after getting off it.

“Really? This is basically the Sci-Fi version of the spinning tea cups. Do you see all the small kids here? It’s not going to be fun, let’s go somewhere else.” 

‘Somewhere else’ obviously means the gigantic roller coaster that’s right behind them, haunting Mark and towering over him, creating chills down his spine as he hears the screeches of its riders. He can even feel the rush of wind as they zoom past. He gulps. Definitely not his idea of fun. 

“C’mon, this is fun too. Look, it spins, don’t you like that?” The other boy just offers a deadpan stare. 

And that’s the gist of how their bickering went for the thirty minutes they were waiting in line, neither of them backing down until they climbed onto the ride. Mark counts it as his win for the time being, Donghyuck huffing as he plops onto his seat. He does remind the older that they’re still going on the roller coaster later on but Mark chooses to pretend he didn’t hear it. That’s a problem for future Mark to deal with. For now, he just wants to enjoy the spin.

Donghyuck can see why the young children around him find the ride fun. He doesn’t really get what the twenty-year-old across him who happens to be his boyfriend seems to be the one having the most fun. The ride is called the Accelerator but it’s not all that fast yet Mark is shouting ‘Woohoo’ like there’s no tomorrow. What’s even more ridiculous is he’s trying to get the protruding stick in between them to budge as if it’s a steering wheel and not just a stationary piece of metal meant to act as support. Donghyuck doesn’t find the ride itself fun but still he finds himself laughing until the very end and everything stops spinning. He likes the feeling of being disoriented after a ride and that didn’t quite do it for him but still he doesn’t regret trying it out. Mark is smiling so brightly as he tries to get his point across to Donghyuck whose laughter has yet to die out, “See? Wasn’t that fun?” The ride was slow and it didn’t make his stomach drop, there was no thrill whatsoever but somehow, he thinks that yes, it really was fun _because you were there._ Not that he’d ever admit it to Mark though so he just shakes his head.

“You’re smiling like an idiot though.” He’s so smug that Donghyuck has no choice but to retaliate.

“So were you! And you were acting like one too. You’re so _embarrassing_ , I can’t believe you.” 

“Doesn’t change the fact-”

“Good on you for admitting that you’re essentially a man-child. Tragic. How are you both a hag and a toddler?” Mark punches his arm for that. 

♡

Donghyuck continues to be an absolute pest as they walk around, or at least attempt to because both of them keep trying to drag the other in the opposite direction. Mark finds that amusement parks are way too dangerous to go to with Donghyuck, too many life-threatening rides that the younger would just _love_ to make him ride. On the other hand, Donghyuck thinks it’s hilarious to watch Mark squirm and panic so he just keeps bugging him about it. Of course, he knows not to push too hard, he knows Mark’s limits and the last thing he wants to do is make him hate his experience there. Still, both the aural and physical wrestling is much too fun to pass up on so he persists in trying to pull Mark around. Deep down, he knows why that is. 

In the past, when he came to Universal Studios with his family, there was this impenetrable barrier between his father and the rest of them. Amidst the crowds of happy families, children pulling their parents along and fathers lifting their children onto their shoulders, theirs stood out. They were constantly tense, as if any wrong move might break the fragile bubble that was their facade of a complete, happy family. He couldn’t even bring himself to reach out and grab his father’s hand. The man was right there with them and yet so far away. They should have realized at that point that he was long gone. And so Donghyuck treasures these moments with Mark where they’re so at ease with each other even with all their bickering. The slightly rough touches as they push and pull at each other are incredibly familiar to him. He never needs to be afraid to reach out when Mark is right there. 

Really, Mark is the one who’s terrified in this situation. Donghyuck decides to ease up a bit and offer a compromise since it seems that they’ll never get anywhere at the rate they’re going. Instead of going on the huge, intimidating roller coaster, they’ll go on the small, kiddy roller coaster at the Shrek-themed area. Mark agrees to it, albeit with great reluctance and much convincing. He’s relieved that he’s managed to escape that utter monster of a ride though. 

If Donghyuck thought Mark’s antics in the Accelerator ride were funny then Mark’s state of panic while waiting in line for the roller coaster - the children’s one, _for goodness sake_ \- was downright hilarious (just because he doesn’t want to admit that he’s being absolutely adorable). The wait is a long one and Mark spends about half of the time pacing about, complaining about nausea and the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Moreover, he’s constantly fidgeting and occasionally jumping on the spot, presumably to shake off the nerves. Donghyuck has even seen him head banging as he holds onto the barrier as a pivot. Added to that is the fact that he even starts to rap and sing in the middle of doing all this. It’s all so endlessly amusing to the younger who just sits back. They have to store all their belongings, including their phones, in lockers for these kinds of rides so waiting in line is normally very boring but having a frantic Mark Lee by his side makes even that entertaining. 

As they move closer to the front of the line, the queue becomes even more compressed and Mark no longer has room to move as energetically as he did earlier. Instead, he presses himself closer to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around Donghyuck’s waist from behind and treating him like his personal teddy bear. Even then he can’t stand still so he starts swaying the two of them from side to side. Donghyuck decides to be nice for once and tilts his head upwards, resting it on Mark’s shoulder as he comforts him, “You’ll be fine. You know you’re always safe with me. Nothing to worry about.” 

“There’s always something to worry about with you.” There’s no malice in his words though, as he nuzzles his nose into the crook of Donghyuck’s neck (Mark always finds that his scent calms him down), his breath tickling the younger. 

Donghyuck, with a slight chuckle, softly protests, “Hey, you were also the one who said it’s always the time of your life when you’re with me.” And Mark simply hums in agreement. There are many things that he fears and worries about and Donghyuck always seems to make him face them. Still, he wouldn’t have it any other way. His boyfriend may be a terror but he’s also his safe haven and the source of his joy. 

That being said, he definitely still isn’t looking forward to the ride. If he screams like a little girl as the cart plummets to oblivion, that’s between him and the wind. He hopes. 

♡

His hopes are dashed as he steps off the roller coaster and hears Donghyuck’s laughter. He has no doubt that he was laughing throughout the ride too but he wouldn’t have known either way because all he could hear was his own high-pitched yelling. He can’t even shove the other boy because he’s so unsteady on his feet though oh so grateful that they’re finally touching solid ground. “Never again. That was fucking terrifying,” he huffs out as he squats, unable to stand upright with his legs all wobbly. Donghyuck is still laughing as he fixes Mark’s hair from above, his black locks genuinely resembling a bird’s nest after what the rush of wind put it through, “I can tell, your grip was so tight my arm is bruising.” He says this good-naturedly but Mark suddenly shoots up to check his arm, muttering apologies as he sees the darkening spot on the boy’s tan skin. The older furrows his brows in concentration as he worriedly rubs at the bruise and Donghyuck can’t help but admire the sight, heart bursting with affection because there’s someone who loves him enough to give in to his annoying demands, to trust him and rely on him, to care for him when he’s hurt. 

“Thank you,” he says softly, but loud enough to reach Mark’s ears. He looks up to protest the expression of gratitude since he was the one who hurt him but he stops upon seeing Donghyuck’s face, understanding the underlying meaning behind those words. 

They just stare at each other for a moment but it makes the younger unusually shy so he interrupts the silence with the clearing of his throat, “Okay, since you managed to overcome this, I think you deserve a reward.” Mark looks at him questioningly but is answered with the tilt of a head towards a booth by the side. A booth selling cotton candy. Mark’s favourite part of going to amusement parks.

They take a break between rides and buy a stick of cotton candy each, Mark being the most excited he’s been all day (“This is sa-weet!”) and Donghyuck content to see Mark being delighted by the fluffiness of the cotton candy. Unable to resist, he takes a bite off his own cotton candy and presses a kiss onto Mark’s lips, letting the sweet melt between the two of them. It’s stickier than normal, their lips hardly parting from the others’ as if glued together. The parting after the kiss takes a little longer too and before he knows it, Mark grabs him by the waist and pulls him closer for another kiss, this one harder than the last, almost bruising. When they part for air, their faces still very close together, the younger licks his lips and smirks, “Isn’t this even sweeter?” His answer comes in the form of Mark Lee diving in to press their lips together once more. 

♡

Loving and affectionate as they are, Donghyuck can’t resist teasing Mark once more as they walk out of the cinema featuring Shrek’s 4D Adventure amidst a throng of people, “You’re not even scared of spiders, what were you doing shouting so loudly in there? I swear everyone turned to look at you.” 

Mark, worked up, tries to defend himself, “Anyone would be scared of having that many spiders thrown at them! Plus you could actually feel them!”

“You do realize that none of that was real right?”

“Well, they _felt_ real!”

“That’s the entire point of 4D,” Donghyuck points out, “But that’s just it. A simulation.” And Mark can’t say anything to that because it’s true that he did scream in the middle of a theatre full of people because of an image and some special effects of cartoon spiders. From Shrek. 

Suddenly, Mark hears a cry in the distance, “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what? Your screeching?” And Mark doesn’t bother to dignify that with a response as he starts excusing himself through the crowds. Finally, he spots the source of the cries - a young girl standing alone and bawling her eyes out, calling for her parents. Taking big strides with Donghyuck following behind him, he approaches the child and bends down to her eye level. He holds out his hand and in a soothing, measured voice, tries to reach out to her in English, “Hi, I’m Mark. What’s your name?”

“Rina,” she manages to sniffle out, cautious but relieved that she’s no longer on her own, “Where are Mama and Papa? Mr Mark, do you know?” She’s still hiccuping and streams of tears continue to run down her face but at least she’s responding to him properly. 

“I’m not sure but how about we move to that side over there,” he points to some seats at a less populated area, “So we can see them better and also so you don’t get pushed around by all these people?” She nods and takes his hand as he leads her away from the crowd. All this while, Donghyuck just stands beside Mark quietly, not sure of what to do and unable to fully understand what the child is saying. Still, he’s in awe of how Mark managed to handle the situation so easily. He thinks it’s to be expected though, Mark has always been good at tearing down peoples’ barriers with his friendly disposition and willingness to take the initiative in conversations, even with strangers. 

“Hey, you like Minions right?” Mark asks as he notices the small minion plushie she’s tightly hugging with one hand, “How about I introduce you to one?” Carefully, he turns her towards Donghyuck who eyes them questioningly, surprised to hear his name in the middle of the English sentence. What Mark mouths at him stumps him and he hesitates for a bit, feeling awkward about doing this but in the end, he gathers the courage and starts singing the Banana Song in his best Minions impression. It’s a skill he’s rather proud of, no thanks to Mark always laughing and hyping him up, saying it’s amazing how accurate it is. And it’s truly the most precious thing to see not only Mark, but also the little girl, start to smile upon hearing his voice and seeing him act all silly. He can’t help but think that Rina’s giggles are so magical they give birth to fairies and make flowers bloom. Once the laughing subsides, Mark gently nudges her, “This is Minion Hyuckie. How about you say hi?”

Shyly, she bites her lip and swings her body from side to side before stepping closer to Donghyuck and holding his pinky finger with her small hand, “Hi Minion Hyuckie, you look so kind.” And Donghyuck may not be the best at English but he thinks he understands a bit of what she said as his eyes meet Mark’s who is nodding and answering the child that, ‘You’re right, Minion Hyuckie is very kind. Even though he’s always teasing and making fun of me and acting cute to get me to do what he wants. That’s his way of showing his love.”

“So Minion Hyuckie loves Mr Mark?”

“Yep and Mr Mark loves Minion Hyuckie too.” And that much Donghyuck understands as a smile creeps onto his face. 

“And your Mama and Papa really love Rina too and they’re probably worried sick so how about we look around for them?” Mark continues, to which Rina shakes her head vigorously to the point of getting a little dizzy and stumbling, much to the amusement of the two adults accompanying her. 

As they walk around and try to find people who match the description Rina gave of her parents, the waves of people moving about get between Donghyuck and Mark who decided to lift Rina up and carry her on his shoulders so she can more easily point out her parents to them. Before he knows it, there’s a large gap between him and them as he tries to catch up from behind. 

The view of Mark’s back from where he stands flashes back to another familiar scene, one that Donghyuck had replayed many times in his head when he was younger. He sees another back, that of his father. He’s carrying a luggage bag, walking out the front door, never bothering to turn back. Not even when Donghyuck calls out to him, asking where he’s going. He runs after the man and he can’t hear anything but his own screams, his pleas for him to wait, to stay. He was always too scared to grab onto his hand even though he was nearby but this time, he reaches out, wants to hold onto him and never let go. Maybe then he’ll change his mind. Maybe he won’t go and they’ll be able to be together forever. He doesn’t even manage to touch him (or his heart) as he trips and falls, face landing on the ground. Tears blur his sight and he’s not sure if it’s because of the pain of the impact or the fact that his father didn’t even care. Gradually, the view of his back fades, leaving Donghyuck with scars on his knees and on his heart. His mother and his brother, Johnny help him up and try to pick up the pieces, they try to mend and heal though it’s never really been the same. But he’s okay now. Now that he's with Mark who turns back to check on him and call for him, holding out his hand for Donghyuck to grasp. Once their fingers intertwine, Mark pulls the younger’s hand to his lips and kisses it, sending a sly glance to Donghyuck’s face, “Careful, don’t want you getting lost either.”

He spent a lot of time being lost but with Mark holding tightly onto his hand, he knows he’ll always be found.

♡

Eventually, they manage to reunite Rina with her parents and after bidding her a tearful farewell with promises to come and play with her one day, they continue to walk around and go on rides (Mark is thankful that they were the more tame ones). They stay until the park closes and by the time they get back home, Mark is completely drained. Donghyuck, on the other hand, is still energetic and raring to go, putting his full focus into convincing Mark to watch another cheesy rom-com with him. As usual, he relents and finds himself sitting on the couch with snacks in his hand and a movie playing at midnight. The sleepiness manages to catch up to him barely a minute into the movie and he can hardly fight it, slowly falling into a deep slumber, his head resting on Donghyuck’s shoulder. The younger, feeling Mark’s hair tickling his neck, can already tell that his boyfriend is already fast asleep and he doesn’t have the heart to wake him up when he looks so peaceful. Carefully, he shifts Mark’s body into a more comfortable position and pulls the blanket they took from their room up as high as he can to make sure Mark doesn’t get too cold. He grabs the remote control and turns off the television, worried that it would disturb Mark.

Unfortunately, the sound of his phone’s ringtone reverberates throughout the room and he hurries to turn down the sound as he feels Mark groan and shift when he sees the caller ID belonging to his brother. He immediately answers, putting the phone to his ear, “Hyung, what are you doing calling me so late?” Johnny’s familiar laugh rings in his ear, hearty and full, “I just felt like it. It’s not as if it’s weird for us to be calling each other at ungodly hours, now is it?” That’s most certainly true. In the first place, Donghyuck’s sleep schedule has always been fucked up because of his tendency to game well into the night and Johnny generally has a crazy amount of energy that lets him stay awake even in the early morning so they’ve always stayed up together. It’s been less frequent since Donghyuck moved out but it’s still a normal practice for them, starting from when they were young and Donghyuck needed to cry to and confide in his brother about the pain of losing their father. Johnny would huddle close and envelop him in a gigantic bear hug, holding him close, promising that he’ll always be there for his brother. And he’s never broken that promise. Even when Donghyuck doesn’t come to him, he constantly checks up on him to make sure he’s okay. 

“How are you doing over there? Is Mark a good housemate? Is he treating you well?” Johnny likes Mark, he’s a good kid from what he can tell from the few times they’ve met, one of them being when he came over to their place to introduce himself as his brother’s boyfriend and another time being when he came to assure them that Donghyuck would be in safe hands living with him. Even so, it had always been his role to worry and care for the younger and the fact that another person now shares that role doesn’t change the fact. He’ll be damned if he’ll let Donghyuck live with someone who makes him suffer, he never wants a repeat of those days again.

“I’m doing fine. Mark is great. Well, actually…” 

Johnny doesn’t miss the pause and cuts in, “What? What did he do? Just say the word and the little bastard won’t know what hit him.” He’s only half joking.

“Hyung, can you relax? The only big problem he has is that he’s shit at chores and just cleaning up in general. He can’t cook at all. It’s so bad he almost set the house on fire. And the mess, oh my god, Hyung you should see his room. It’s the worst when he’s so busy juggling studying and producing that he just throws things around and there are clothes and papers lying on the floor. He doesn’t even eat properly during those times so I have to make my way through that junkyard to bring his meals to him. Can you believe him? He lives like that and yet he’s the one always worrying about my health and making me eat all those vitamins everyday, saying corny shit like I need to eat them so I can live longer and we can be together for as long as possible. Isn’t that so stupid?” And yet he says all this so fondly, gently caressing the hair of Mark sleeping beside him, “And he sucks at playing games. He always loses when he plays and there’s no challenge at all for me here but he still plays with me when I ask even though he knows I’ll clown him afterwards. The only games he’s good at are the basketball ones in those stalls you can find at amusement parks and carnivals. Do you know he tried to act all cool when he won me a teddy bear today? Even though he was literally tearing up when we were riding the roller coaster, who is he fooling?” 

Donghyuck pauses to catch his breath and when he starts talking again, his voice is soft, light, almost dreamy, “But you know what, Hyung? He’s so silly and childish but at the same time he’s responsible and wise and mature. He’s reliable and kind and always takes care of others. Even though I always annoy him and give him a hard time, he takes it all in stride and understands me. He’s also the most hardworking person I know. That’s because he’s so ambitious, he has big dreams and he loves what he does. And he lets me in on his dreams too, always takes me out to get inspiration, let’s me be the first to listen to his music and he even says I’m his muse. He makes me want to dream because he opens up so many possibilities, like a child who doesn’t know any limit, and makes everything so much more exciting. I look forward to the future because he’s here with me. Hyung… I think, no, I know he’s The One.”

“Sounds to me like you’re the cheesiest one in this relationship. But I’m glad to hear all that. He makes you happy, doesn’t he?”

And he finds that no pangs of sadness shoot into his heart at the memory of the amusement park. He remembers how he laughed endlessly on their date today because of Mark. He remembers how they were constantly touching and bickering. He thinks up an image of them side by side and holding hands with Mark carrying a little girl. 

And, no longer pained by the past, filled with content in the present and feeling hopeful about the future, he answers, “He makes me the happiest.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this one Reddit post a while back about how this girl overheard her boyfriend telling his grandma that she’s ‘The One’ and though I didn’t actually read the post, the title just kind of stuck with me and so I decided to write this. It was supposed to be just pure fluff with no plot whatsoever, just them being cute but then as I was planning it, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Piece By Piece’ started playing and I felt the urge to add that tiny bit of angst (?) in the backstory which is also a bit inspired by my mom’s story. I mean, it’s still not really anything substantial but trying to write anything with an actual plot has stressed me out so I just did this haha. That said, thank you to anyone who reads this. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. I’ve just started my writing journey so I’d really appreciate any constructive criticism. I hope that you stay safe and healthy!
> 
> P.S. Tbh it seemed like a cute idea when I was thinking of it but I’m not really satisfied with how it turned out, it’s not like how I imagined it would be. It’s kind of boring, isn’t it? I’m not sure if it’s because it’s just pointless fluff or because I just can’t capture the scene well enough with my writing. It’s probably both *sighs*. This has been super frustrating for me because it just seems like I can only write boring stuff so it would be nice if anyone could give tips/ advice on how I could improve! It doesn’t have to be super technical, maybe just a feeling because I know I have difficulty giving concrete advice too.
> 
> P.S. I’m sorry for the kissing scene, I still don’t know how to write those.
> 
> Edit: Oh and this is my cc is anyone wants to talk hehe: https://curiouscat.qa/mygreatwidesomewhere


End file.
